[1] A leg break and googly bowler and a forceful lower order batsman, he had played just four first-class matches when he was selected for the New Zealand tour to England in 1927 – in one of the four, he had taken eight Otago wickets for 68 runs in an innings.

The 1927 tour, though no Test matches were played, was a triumph: Merritt took 107 wickets and Wisden[2] noted that though "he showed no great command of length... on certain days – and these were fairly frequent – he had the best of batsmen in trouble".

[8] Merritt: "My decision to come to England was dictated by business reasons, and when it is realised that some members of the New Zealand team are without employment at all, I do not think I can be blamed".

[10] By 1938 he had qualified by residence to play for Northamptonshire, where his New Zealand Test colleague Ken James had settled as wicket-keeper.

[4] Merritt returned to Northamptonshire to play one season after the Second World War, but his appearances were restricted by a League contract to midweek games.